Can we talk about toilets?

Do all your sink/shower drains work just fine or do you find them to be slow as well? Mud daubers, hornets, etc can nest in your vent stack and cause slow drains. The slower the drains, the more crud gets built up in the pipes, compounding the problem.

yes, they all work quite well now. I did have to install a good vent pipe and I had to open up and clean out a blocked drain pipe a while ago. But since then all pipes drain fast.

I know I have seen toilets that flushed with a much stronger whoosh. So I'm thinking a change of toilet.

Couple of points to ponder. A toilet does not need a vent. Now this many cause some of you to think, "this guy is an idiot", but it's a fact. I have plumbed a few dozen new homes lately, all under the strict review of the local code officials, and following the letter of the law of the IRC. The reason you don't provide an individual vent to a toilet in MOST cases is that it is discharging a fairly small amount of water and water, in the bottom of a fairly large pipe. Bottom line is that you are lucky to "fill" the bottom 1/4 of the pipe in the middle of a flush, leaving a lot of air on top, and no venting issues. Honestly, judging buy some of the amazingly horrendous plumbing I have repaired over the years, if you are dealing with properly sized plastic drain lines, not old cast iron, it's pretty tough to get them to clog. Next is the misunderstanding that "low flow" and poor performance are related. Sorry, but no. I typically install Mid-grade American Standard units available at any big box supplier. They are highly rated, and perform flawlessly. Finally, ideal pitch is 1/4 to the foot. !/8" can leave solids behind due to sluggish flow , and once you exceed 3/8" you can also have issues with solids laying in the pipe while the liquids quickly flow past. The code specifically states that 1/8" can be allowed at the discretion of the inspector.

We have had 3 Toto toilets - they work great and never clogged. Our then-teenaged daughter was infamous for clogs - the Totos took care of that!! I highly recommend them.

__________________
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. --Kent M. Keith

Now I have seen it all . . . (almost)
A solar--heated-- outhouse . . . . . . . . . .
The ideas are overloading my feeble 'brain'

Thanks Gary . . . . . . .

We have Eljer Titans and they flush well. $170 or so per at Menards.

Try a Squatter(Asian) toilet. It's really not that bad and many argue it's actually healthier to go this way than sitting down.

__________________

I see a very dark cloud on America's horizon,
and that cloud is coming from Rome.
- Abraham Lincoln

Vern! I actually thought the squatters were great when I visited Asia. They flush very cleanly too as the "bowl" is a totally different design.
No idea where one could acquire one in North America, though (Especially Canada) or I would put one in. I would encourage anyone to try it if they can, it truly is the cure for constipation and hemorrhoids.

Agreement though that plumbing issues are the plumbing's issue - not the toilet. It's not its job to force sewage through the pipes, they must flow freely!

__________________
Check out my farm/ranch blog - www.evansranch.ca